CH 70

“Yes. Let’s check who is being controlled by the Sword of Domination.”

“What?” 

“What do you mean?” 

The knights seemed perplexed by Ian’s words. But Ian smiled nonchalantly. 

“What do I mean? I mean, you might have been brainwashed.” 

“What?!” 

The Sword of Domination. 

It’s a treasure that the Second Prince brought from the treasury after the trial. As successors of Kaistein, the Kingdom of Swordsmen, it was essential for all royalty to have an alter ego. 

And. 

“The sword’s ability is brainwashing. As long as the knights are close to me, the Second Prince must have made a move.” 

However, Nathan and Fiosen looked wronged. 

Nathan, in particular, approached as if he had been hurt. 

“Your Highness, no matter what, we’re no fools to fall into brainwashing. You don’t trust us, do you?” 

“Yes, I don’t trust you.” 

“Ah, you don’t trust us… W-what?!”

Nathan was shocked by the answer that was sharper than a royal sword.

“Well, to be exact, I don’t trust your consciousness.” 

“…!” 

Ian’s eyes flashed. 

‘The victims of the brainwashing didn’t even realize they had been controlled.’ 

And in the past, Ian knew exactly who the Second Prince brainwashed. 

But now the future had changed a bit. 

Therefore, Ian looked at his knights.  

“There’s no harm in making sure.” 

“That’s true. I understand.” 

The only one who nodded among the knights was Galon. 

They believed in what Ian said, but the Sword of Domination of the Second Prince was really notorious for its wickedness. 

“That’s why the Second Prince was number one in the line of succession. With that alone, he can subdue his subjects and knights to secure a stable royal authority.”

The most powerful alter ego in the world. 

But Ian smiled subtly at that. 

He couldn’t help it. 

‘If that’s all there is to it, the past kings would have used it.’

The successive kings inherited a treasure from the trial.  

And all the treasures in the treasury of trial were objects with strong magical powers.

Commonly, controlling a few treasures was the limit. Therefore, all kings of the past used about three or four. 

But his father, King Eloin, was different. He was an undisputed genius who was even called a master of various martial arts when he was young.  

‘He is capable enough to wield all the treasures.’

Despite that, why did he not use the Sword of Domination? 

‘There’s a risk that only the king knows.’ 

Although it was a very powerful sword, it might imply that it was not beneficial enough for the king to give up the Sword of Brilliance, his alter ego.

And that was likely the same reason why the Second Prince in his previous life was quickly destroyed.

‘There is actually a weakness.’

But that wasn’t the point now. 

“So, according to Your Highness’ words, there may be someone who has been brainwashed by the Second Prince?” 

“Hey, isn’t that you? It wasn’t long ago that you had an in-laws relationship!”

“In-laws, my ass! No! Aren’t you the one who has an affair with the First Princess, Nathan?”

“Some affair! Who are you to ruin my marriage? No, it’s not!” 

“Prince, who is the culprit?” 

Ian smiled at Galon’s question. 

“All of you.” 

“Pardon?” 

Fiosen shouted as if he was bewildered. Apparently, he didn’t even expect Galon to be included on the suspect list.

“The effect of the Sword of Domination is up to three people!”

Even the Second Prince could not have spent all of it on the Seventh Prince’s camp. 

Of course, he was using it on his closest aides. 

But Ian curled up his lips. 

“Of course, it’s a lie that three people is the limit. Won’t he lie about the number?” 

“!” 

The more he lied about the number, the better. 

Much less the ambitious and wicked Second Prince could never have told the truth.

“So let’s check it out.” 

“How? Only he knows how to undo it…” 

But instead of answering, Ian made the attendants bring something. 

“Maybe this will do.” 

“This…” 

The knights’ faces became strange.  

What the attendants brought was none other than a basin full of water.

“Why is this…” 

Ian gave a signal to Galon and Fiosen with his eyes instead of answering. 

Nathan looked at these three people puzzledly.

Snap!

“What… What? What are you doing?!” 

Upon Ian’s signal, Galon and Fiosen strongly restrained Nathan. 

“Stay still. It’s the prince’s order.” 

“If anyone has been brainwashed, it must be you, Nathan. Do you think I don’t know that you recently entered the Second Prince’s annex?”

“I… I never did that!” 

Nathan had no choice but to let himself bring his head in front of the basin with his hands held tightly.

Ian ordered without hesitation.

“Put him in.” 

As soon as the words fell, Nathan’s head plunged into the water. 

Blurp blurp blub.

Rather than undoing the brainwashing, it looked close to water torture. 

Ian pressed Nathan’s head with his small fingers to keep him from doing anything. 

Due to this, Nathan felt he had been wrongly accused.

“Abub-bu-bub! But why do you experiment with this?! You have Fiosen!” 

“Because Sir Fiosen is the heir to the duke?” 

“Then what about Galon? Following that logic, aren’t I the heir of the marquis?”

“Galon is my escort, so he has to escort me, right?” 

“!?” 

“Trust me. Water knows the answer.” 

Nathan felt wronged by this bullshit, but Ian only laughed.

At this point, even Galon seemed to be in doubt, and Fiosen asked anxiously. 

“It doesn’t matter because it’s Nathan. Is this really working?” 

“Five minutes have passed. Even a knight will die at this rate.” 

“It’s okay, I’m sure as this is what the dragon taught me.” 

“Dr, dragon?” 

“The dragon who made a pledge with me. Sometimes I connect with him.” 

Of course, it was a lie. 

He had discovered this method himself in his past life.

However, there was something odd. 

‘The effect was faster than I thought. Could it be that Nathan did not get brainwashed?’ 

But it was then.  

Gurgle gurgle gurgle!

Nathan convulsed all of a sudden. It wasn’t that he couldn’t hold his breath.

“Now.” 

The two take Nathan out at Ian’s orders. 

As if waiting, Ian pulled out something. That’s the magic sword he bought from a blacksmith in the Garcia duchy.

He held the magic sword high.  

‘The magic sword is a sword that can absorb magic and is easy to use. If I strike it down like this…’

Resonance occurred. 

It was because the magic sword vibrated as if it was trying to take in the magic or bizarre phenomena around it.

Bang! 

At the same time as the magic sword struck, the two knights couldn’t help being shocked.

“Nathan?” 

Nathan’s pupils had turned red.  

Ian asked Nathan with serious eyes. 

“Where and when did you get brainwashed?” 

“On the way to the First Princess’s palace… a few days ago…”

“!” 

Ian opened his eyes wide in surprise.  

Although he was aware of the existence of people who had been brainwashed in the past, several were not revealed until the end. 

So if Nathan was one of them, he thought it might be three years ago.   

‘When Nathan suddenly went to become Duke Garcia’s knight.’

Otherwise, there was no reason to go to become Duke Garcia’s knight. 

But it wasn’t.

A few days ago, it was obviously…

‘During the envoy reception?’ 

Something must have happened then. 

Well, it didn’t matter anymore.  

‘I’m sure he planted one in each camp.’

Ian continued to question Nathan, ripping the information out. 

“Do you know who the other brainwashed people are?” 

“That’s…” 

After hearing several names, Ian smiled and said to Galon and Fiosen. 

“Now, you two have to do it too, right?” 

Galon and Fiosen were sweating. 

Right then. 

“I’ll hold them for you. I’m good at this kind of thing.” 

Nathan, who had come to at some point, spoke with a spiteful look.  

And as Ian stared at him with interest.  

“I will do it myself.”

“We’ll take care of ourselves.” 

The two of them put their faces into the basin on their own. 

*** 

“As you said, I have sent men not only to the First Princess and the Second Prince but also to the Seventh Prince.” 

“Well done.” 

The Fourth Prince, heading to the venue of the Battle of Ranking, smiled with satisfaction. 

However, the attendant who reported it did not seem to understand.

“I attached a person to the Seventh Prince, but can they really help the Seventh Prince?” 

The Fourth Prince smiled. 

“He is a clever boy. I asked him to join forces, but there’s no way he will do so obediently.” 

“That means…” 

“It is to check the hidden power. Think of it as a kind of investment.” 

He turned his attention to the letter as if that’s not important now. 

It’s a letter to all the nobles of Kaistein announcing the official Battle of Ranking.  

‘This will change the game a lot.’ 

He wondered who would cut the other first, but the Battle of Ranking was a very important occasion. 

It was also a great opportunity to check the opponent’s power, but the Battle of Ranking would move not only the nobles but also other countries.  

“But are you fine with this? At this rate, if the Seventh Prince wins over the Second Prince, the Seventh Prince will be in a higher rank than you at once, Prince.”

“Well, there is little chance that the youngest can beat him.”

Servin clicked his tongue. 

He was also afraid of the Second Prince’s sword.

He was curious how the youngest would handle it. 

‘I don’t know where he got him, but to think he happened to be the opponent of all people.’ 

One of the opponents was one of the three legendary knights. It would be difficult to defeat Fiosen and Galon, who was now called one of the Three Great Knights.

Truth be told, he didn’t expect that. 

“So I will continue to monitor and look for a prosthetic arm for the youngest. Of the three claims he asked, the Second Prince must have put the youngest’s wrist on the line.” 

“That’s true. There’s no chance that the Seventh Prince will win. He’s still doing something strange.” 

The Fourth Prince stopped in his tracks upon hearing those words. 

“Something strange?” 

“Yes. He’s asking questions and torturing his knights…”

“What?” 

The Fourth Prince was dumbfounded. 

What kind of crap was that guy who had a Battle of Ranking match tomorrow doing to the knights? 

The knights who were with him burst into laughter as if it was ridiculous.

“What a fool. I can’t believe he did that at such an important moment.”

“He must have lost his mind.”

Everyone laughed at the Seventh Prince’s foolish action.

But then. 

The Fourth Prince commanded with serious eyes. 

“Go out and get some water.” 

“Yes? Why water?” 

“You guys should do the same.”

“Yes??” 

The men screamed in panic. But the Fourth Prince did not change his mind.  

He had a reason for it. 

‘There’s no way that kid would do that for no purpose, right?’ 

And thus, screams echoed from the Fourth Prince’s palace along with the sound of water gurgling.

Blurp blurp blub.

There was an untimely water torture craze blowing in the royal castle.

*** 

The match day of the Battle of Ranking was bright.

Ian and his knights walked proudly out of the castle. 

And the venue Ian chose was none other than… 

“Wow! It’s the Seventh Prince!”

“The Dragon’s Contractor!” 

In the middle of the royal road.

To put it another way, it was in front of the entrance where the gate of the royal castle opened.  

Most of Kaistein’s people were already huddling up in a circle to watch this Battle of Ranking.

And although it was the entrance, it was actually no different than a market. 

Of course, the reason why Ian chose this place was simple. 

‘The more crowded and noisy the place is, the less the effect of the Sword of Domination is.’

It was to restrict room for brainwashing. 

‘Instead, I will use it in reverse here.’ 

And actually it wasn’t a bad choice for a public appearance either. 

The stronger and cooler he was, the more people would support him. It was because there was a big difference between having and not having the support of the people as a king. 

This was the case with King Eloin in particular, who was supported by the people for his heroic anecdotes. 

He ruled this kingdom perfectly based on his overwhelming support.

But Galon seemed worried. 

“The Second Prince may be aiming for it. Is it okay to go out to such a vulnerable place?” 

“Don’t worry, Sir Galon.” 

Ian’s composure wasn’t baseless. 

The place he arrived at was the arena decorated in front of the royal castle. And because the overseer sent by the king had arrived.

“Long time no see, Duke Lavaltor.”

“I didn’t know you’d choose this place.” 

Duke Lavaltor sighed softly. 

In the first place, the strongest knight in the kingdom watched over this match. There was no way the Second Prince could use an assassin. 

‘Well, rather, it’s a place where noblemen can’t pull their tricks.’

That was why a lot of people were dissatisfied with this. 

Why would they have to fight in front of the people like a clown?  

As if expecting such a backlash from the nobles, it seemed like Fiosen stopped them, but he must have failed.  

“Competitors from both sides, please come forward.”

Ian came forward without hesitation. Fiosen and Galon followed him. 

Nathan seemed upset at the sight. 

“That position should have been mine.” 

He wanted to go, but perhaps due to the aftereffects of brainwashing, he couldn’t hold the sword well. He seemed quite dissatisfied, but Fiosen had no choice but to go.

“It’s weird, why didn’t they get controlled?” 

But Nathan didn’t know. 

‘I was going to let Fiosen go and not Nathan anyway.’

And then, the Second Prince approached. 

“I never expected you to choose a place like this.” 

“It is clearly a place for the people to see. What do you mean by a place like this?”

But there was something strange. 

The Second Prince’s arm was empty. Following Ian’s gaze, the Second Prince gave a fishy smile.

“Are you curious why I didn’t fix my arm?” 

The Second Prince’s eyes gleamed with a serious look that was different from before.  

“That’s…” 

“Isn’t it your turn to draw the lot?”

“…” 

Ian glared at the Second Prince as if warning him to cut the crap.

In the meantime, he wasn’t sure if the Second Prince intended to use the Sword of Domination.

In the end, The Second Prince only stared at Ian for a while.  

An attendant brought a box.  

Now, the match would be three-on-three in the order of the draw pulled out from there.  

And the Second Prince put his hand into the paper box. 

Ian’s knights silently prayed.

‘Please, the prince is the last…’

‘Put him at the end..’

It was the moment when the draw was pulled out. 

“All right, first!”  

The Second Prince looked somewhere with a frown. And at his command, someone walked out from the other side and said. 

“Come out, Fiosen.” 

Fiosen’s eyes opened wide at the sight of his opponent.